i would never cut the hair inside my kitties ear because 'god' wouldn't have put it there if it didn't serve a purpose. I really think though it helps keep foreign stuff out of their ears. We have small hairs - because we have smaller openings. They need to have lots of hair because they have larger openings. If something touches the ear - the hair feels it and they flick their ear.

If you're just worried about the greasiness, you could maybe wet a washcloth with a BIT of dawn dishwashing liquid (the cloth should NOT be dripping, you do not want water running down inside the ear) and just gently wipe the very outside of the ear... you can clean the inside of your kitty's ears carefully, but I wouldn't suggest it unless a vet or tech shows you the proper way to do it... I clean Oliver's probably twice a month (I have sheter/vet experience) cuz they get a little icky... I think it's mostly due to litter dust and cuz he gets to go outside sometimes on his leash... but I never trim his ear hair, it's essential - keeps big things out, works as a sensor and also effects how the cat hears (just like the hair in our ears!)

I would not do it. Tho for some show cats, you do pluck out the hairs if its not standard. Some breeds that need a "wide open look" for ears are Rexes (Cornish/Devon), Orientals, Siamese. The rest keep their ear furnishings.

Persians get the TOP of the ear trimmed so its nice and rounded looking, but the inside furnishings are not taken out.

It's OK to trim around the outside of the ear like that, but not actually the hair that's inside the ear... that keeps dirt out, and sends touch messages to the cat's brain, so if something gets in its ear, the cat moves or shakes its head or cleans its ear.

You could easily clean the ears with a damp washcloth, though. Just the ear flaps, not inside the ear. Most cats do just fine licking their paws and passing them over the ears, but I guess some cats mightn't have learned to clean their ears properly.